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User:InformationvsInjustice/Cinematic television

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Cinematic television is a genre of television programming characterized by production techniques and qualities that rival those traditionally used in cinema and movies.[1][2] In American television, the genre dates from the 1980s.[3]

In a consultation on tax breaks and relief in 2012, George Osborne, the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, defined cinematic television drama as those with production costs of more than £1 million per hour of airtime.[4][5]

Characteristics edit

The following are some of the characteristics of cinematic television programs:

  • The British Government has proposed defining "cinematic television dramas" as those with production cost of over £1 million per hour of airtime.[5]
  • Cinematic television programs have been overwhelmingly dramas.
  • Several prominent examples were originally conceived as feature films.[6]
  • The scenes in the program are carefully constructed, paying more attention to lighting, camera angle, depth of field and shot construction.
  • Foreshadowing is used in the story lines.[7]
  • Characters are rounder and well-developed compared to those in traditional television programs.[8]
  • The story lines of cinematic television programs tend not to be open-ended. Instead, they tend to tell a single story.[8]
  • Budgets for Cinematic television series tend to be larger and the programs feature prominent filmmakers and actors associated with motion pictures in their production.[9][10]
  • Cinematic television series contain subject matter that was generally prohibited on television. This includes nudity, depiction of sexual activity, depiction of drug use, violence, incest and obscene language.

History and origins edit

For various reasons, production values in cinema have traditionally been higher than those employed by television. Often times, actors who accepted roles in television series were seen as accepting a step down in their careers. Programs like the 1970s The Love Boat, were notable for featuring guest stars who had been prominent movie stars but were now in the twilight of their careers.[citation needed]

In the late 1990s, owing to their inexpensiveness and popularity, reality television programs became part of the mainstream of network broadcasting. This made less room for traditional programming on the networks. Premium cable channels, in particular HBO,[11] saw an opportunity to fill that void by producing their own one-hour dramas, which, unlike traditional network programs, were not constrained by the content limits placed on broadcast television by The Federal Communication Commission.[12] They pioneered the genre with OZ. Its success inspired other premium channels, then non-premium cable channels, and even networks, to follow suit.

Examples edit

Examples of television series that meet the production cost criteria include:

  • The Sopranos, 1999–2007, 6 seasons, 86 episodes, budget: $2 million per one-hour episode.[13]
  • Deadwood, 2004–2006, 3 seasons, 36 episodes, budget: $5 million per one-hour episode.[14]
  • Rome (in cooperation with the BBC and Italy's RAI), 2005–2007, 2 seasons, 22 episodes, budget: $9 million per one-hour episode.[15]
  • True Blood, 2008–present, 5 seasons to date, 60 episodes to date, budget: $3–5 million per one-hour episode.[16][17]
  • Boardwalk Empire, 2010–present, 3 seasons to date, 36 episodes to date, budget: > $4 million per one-hour episode.[15]
  • Lost, 2004–2011, 6 seasons, 121 episodes, budget: $10–14 million for two-hour pilot episode.[15]
  • Mad Men[18]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Cinematic Television". Natums. 2 August 2011. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  2. ^ Knopf, Robert (2005). Theater and Film: A Comparative Anthology. Yale University Press. pp. 14–. ISBN 9780300103366. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
  3. ^ Metcalf, Greg (2012-07-31). The DVD Novel. ABC-CLIO. pp. 162–. ISBN 9780313385810. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
  4. ^ Nicholas Watt (15 March 2012). "Downton Abbey could get tax break in TV production plan". The Guardian UK. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
  5. ^ a b Robert Winnett (16 March 2012). "Budget 2012: Tax breaks to end exodus of Britain's best television drama". The Guardian UK. Retrieved 4 May 2012.
  6. ^ Rachel Thomas. "An Interview with Blake Masters and Henry Bromell of Brotherhood". About.com. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  7. ^ Magistra (10 October 2011). "20 Questions About the Season Finale of 'Breaking Bad' - "Face Off"". Chicagonow.com. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  8. ^ a b Neil Midgley (18 November 2011). "The Killing: the cream of the crop of European detective drama". Telegraph UK. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  9. ^ Tucker Cummings (1 September 2011). "The Most Expensive TV Pilots of All Time: 'Game of Thrones,' 'Lost,' and More". Yahoo! TV. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  10. ^ Cynthia Littleton (7 August 2010). "HBO lays a big-bucks bet on Boardwalk". Variety Magazine. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  11. ^ Richardson, Niall (2010-11-30). Transgressive Bodies: Representations in Film and Popular Culture. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. pp. 181–. ISBN 9780754676225. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
  12. ^ "The Death of Cinema". Joe Hubris. 14 February 2010. Retrieved 29 April 2012.
  13. ^ "Sopranos to Hit a Higher Budget Note". New York Daily News. 23 April 1999. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  14. ^ "Dramatic Television Series Costs of Production". Above the line. 14 November 2010. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  15. ^ a b c Ben Barna (15 January 2010). "HBO'S "BOARDWALK EMPIRE" COST $50 MILLION: HOW THEY GONNA MAKE IT BACK?". Black Book. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  16. ^ Jacob Klein (21 February 2012). "Why True Blood won't be cancelled anytime soon". HBOWATCH. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  17. ^ Lima, Maria; Clifton, Jacob; Buchanan, Ginjer (2010-06-29). A Taste of True Blood: The Fangbanger's Guide. BenBella Books. pp. 193–. ISBN 9781935251965. Retrieved 14 December 2012.
  18. ^ Edgerton, Gary R. (2011-04-26). Mad Men. I.B.Tauris. pp. 20–. ISBN 9781848853799. Retrieved 14 December 2012.

External links edit

Category:Television terminology Category:Television programming

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